Xinhua published a commentary right after Donald Trump was elected to be the next U.S. President. The article referred to the just-completed election as “the ugliest and the most divisive election.” During the process of the election, the public debates’ focus frequently got lost in the midst of personal attacks, while policies for the future became blurred. Even after the election, it is still unclear where the nation is heading. The commentary called the outcome of the election “The Trump Phenomenon,” which reflected a lot of “anger” that is hidden in U.S. society. The result will trigger a “redistribution of interests,” which may send the members of the international community into a “scapegoat position” in which they suffer a retreat from globalization. The commentator also indicated that this past U.S. election proved that the U.S. political system is stuck in trouble, with no light at the end of the tunnel. The gap between the “elite few” and the general public is huge. Both parties suffered from the anti-status-quo demand of the people. Even the mainstream U.S. media are calling the U.S. democracy “fragile.” The commentary concluded that the election probably found a president, but the American people did not find a solution.

Source: Xinhua, November 9, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2016-11/09/c_1119882007.htm

People’s Daily published a commentary after Donald Trump won the U.S. Presidential Election. The commentary started with the observation that the load on Trump’s shoulder is “not light,” especially when the U.S. and the world are undertaking “profound changes.” The author brought up and examined Trump’s “most concrete plan thus far,” which is the plan he outlined in his Gettysburg speech. However, the article pointed out that the new U.S. administration will still have to face challenges such as income gaps, a lack of social fairness, racial conflicts, and illegal immigration – just like before. The commentary expressed the belief that the overall relationship between China and the United States won’t change significantly, since it is in both sides’ “tangible interest” to maintain a “healthy relationship” between the world’s two largest economies. The author felt comfortable saying that there is already an “effective” framework for the two countries to work with each other and there is no reason to believe this “mature” model needs a major change.

Source: People’s Daily, November 10, 2016
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2016/1110/c1002-28849007.html

Following the U.S. presidential election, People’s Daily interviewed several Chinese experts to discuss the prospect of China-U.S. relations under the Trump administration. Below is an excerpt from the report:

Yuan Zheng, director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the U.S. Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, “This election exposed the United States’ anti-globalization and protectionist tendencies and made trade a more likely area of friction between China and the U.S.” “The new president may make tough gestures in some areas of trade, such as requiring China to abide by international rules and resorting more to WTO arbitrations.”

Liu Xuesheng, executive vice president of the Center for China-U.S. Relations at the China Institute of International Studies said, “Of course, this does not mean that the U.S. policy toward China will be ‘overly aggressive.'” “Trump is a businessman. He will deal with foreign affairs with the mentality and philosophy of a businessman, as he repeatedly said as the campaign progressed. He believes that the United States has been in a position of disadvantage in the process of dealing with China, so there will be a series of negotiation mechanisms between China and the U.S.”

“Trump may have his own powerful personal style, but the main theme of China-U.S. relations will not be easy to change.”

Yuan Zheng said, “Trade is more prone to friction, but it is also easy to control.” “There is more than US$500 billion in trade between China and the United States each year. Such economic relations not only benefit the two sides; they are also good for the global economy. Using the words of many U.S. experts, since 2008, the two sides have not had much of a choice: only cooperation to ensure a ‘win-win situation.’”

Yuan Zheng continued, “The U.S. policy toward China depends on China’s position in the international system and the U.S.’s reliance on China.” “After all, if China is becoming more influential, then the United States will need to be cautious about what it wants [from China].”

Source: People’s Daily, November 10, 2016
http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2016/1110/c1002-28849010.html

The Chinese edition of Voice of America (VOA) reported on Wednesday morning that Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Donald Trump on becoming the U.S. President-elect.

Xi said in his congratulatory message that China, the world’s largest developing country, and the U.S., the largest developed country, as the world’s top two economies, bear the special responsibility of maintaining world peace and stability, boosting global development and prosperity, and sharing extensive interests, .

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